Apparatus for stringing tobacco leaves



June 29, 1954 R. D. TOUTON 2,682,342

APPARATUS FOR STRINGING TOBACCO LEAVES Filed April 12, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l d). A8 E I nhnnnnnnaaannnnnannananna IlllllllllllllIIIIIIYIIIIIIlllllllllllll JNVENTOR. RUSH D. TOUTON June 29, 1954 o. TOUTON APPARATUS FOR STRINGING TOBACCO LEAVES Filed April 12, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. RUSH D. TOUTON ATTORNEYS R. D. TOUTON APPARATUS FOR STRINGING TOBACCO LEAVES June 29, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 12, 1951 Fig. /2

I M+ m -x ATTORNEYS v Patented June 29, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR STRINGING TOBACCO LEAVES Rush D. Touto'n, Wynnewood, Pa.

Application April 12, 1951, Serial No. 220,616

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to apparatus for stringing tobacco leaves.

As is well known, when tobacco is harvested, the leaves are strung on lengths of string secured at one end to a lath, the free end of the string, after th leaves are strung thereon, is attached to the other end of the lath and the whole then racked up in a curing barn with the leaves hanging from the string for the curing of the tobacco leaves.

When the tobacco has cured, the laths are taken down, the ends of the string are out free from the lath, the tobacco leaves pushed together and the balance of the string may be wound about the butt portions of the leaves and secured to form hands.

In practice heretofore, the stringing of the pairs of tobacco leaves has been accomplished manually by operators who string them by passing a needle, carried by the string at its free end, through the butts of the leaves. This operation is open to a number of objections, chief among which is variation in the number of pairs of leaves per lath, unequal spacing of the leaves on the string, wide variation in the number of laths strung per day by different operators, which results in a limited average production, breakage of leaves du to inept operators, loss from falling leaves during curing resulting from improper stringing, difficulty in obtaining requisite 1 labor for a short seasonable occupation and rising labor costs coupled with decreasing productivity.

The present invention contemplates automatic means for feeding tobacco leaves to a mechanically actuated needle and for conveying the strung tobacco leaves onto a supporting means which will hold the strung leaves and the lath strip which is attached to one end of the string after the desired number of tobacco leaves are placed on the string with uniform spacing between the leaves.

It is another object of this invention to provide self-ajusting conveyor clamps for firmly engaging and supporting tobacco stems of various diameters. I

It is a further object of this invention to provide for automatic transfer of the tobacco leaves from a first conveyor which supports the tobacco leaves by engagement with the stems of the leaves to a second conveyor which supports the tobacco leaves by supporting the lath and the strings and from which the lath and the strung leaves may be readily removed.

These and other objects of the invention and 2 the apparatus according to the invention will become apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a top view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the plane 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspectiv view of the needle mounting apparatus shown in the upper left hand portion of Figure 1;

Figures 5, 6 and '7 are bottom views of the needle mounting apparatus, the apparatus being shown in the various views in varying operative positions;

Figure 8 is a perspective top view of an element of the needle mounting apparatus;

Figures 9, 10, 11 and 12 are diagrammatic representations of the successive steps of the stringing of the tobacco leaves upon a string attached to the lath strip; and

Figure 13 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the apparatus taken on the trace l3-l3 of Figure l.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 there is indicated generally at 2 a framework on top of which is mounted a driving motor 4 which, through speed reducer 6 and the sprocket chain 8, drives the transverse shaft NI. The transverse shaft I0 is provided with a bevelled gear l2 driving the mating gear Hi which is affixed to the vertical shaft it. The horizontal shaft ii! is provided on one end thereof with the eccentrically mounted driving member l8. Attached to the eccentrically mounted driving member i8 is one end of the bar 20. Pivotally attached to the other end of the bar 29 is the member 22 which is a portion of the needle mounting apparatus shown generally at 24.

The needle mounting apparatus is suspended from the framework 2 by means of the plates 26 and includes the box-like framework 2'6 within which there is mounted the four needle supporting members 3i, 32, 33 and 3G. The supporting members 29 mounted on the top of the box structure 28 support the shaft 39 on which the member 22 is pivotally mounted. At either end of the structure 28 there are provided the guide members 36 which support the cam member 38 The cam member 38 is provided with a central aperture 40 into which extends the lower portion of the member 22. The cam member 38 is provided with four cam surfaces Al, 42, t3 and 44. These cam surfaces are adapted to engage the members 3|, 32, 33 and 34, respectively. Each of these members is mounted for slideable motion between rollers 46.

The members Si, 32, 33 and 34 are substantially identical and are of the form shown in Figure 8. Each of the members are provided with a pair of extending stem portions 48 which extend outwardly through the wall of the box member 28, and are adapted to mount springs 50 which are provided to urge the members 3|, 32, 33 and 34 inwardly. The inward ends of each of the members are provided with a slot 52 in which is mounted a roller 54 which is adapted to bear against its associated cam surfaces 4|, 42, 43 and 44 of the member 38. The inner ends of the members are also provided with an extended portion 33 which is provided with a groove 53 adapted to engage the needle 60 in the areas thereof shown at 62 as having reduced diameter. The forward end of the needle is pointed, as shown at 64, and the rearward end of the needle is provided with an open eye or hook 68 which is adapted to receive the string for stringing tobacco leaves as will be hereinafter described.

The vertical shaft is rotatably mounted within the framework 2 and carries the sprocket F2. The vertically mounted rotatable shaft 16 carries a sprocket 14, and a conveyor chain 16 is mounted on the sprockets l2 and T4 and travels to the right as viewed in Figures 1, 9, 10 and 11.

Affixed to the upwardly and downwardly extending flanges of the conveyor chain 16 are pairs of tobacco stem holders l8 and 80. It will be observed that the leading holders 18 are angle members having a lower flange extending toward the left, as viewed in Figure 1, and the trailing holders 8! are angles having an upper flange extending toward the right as viewed in Figure 1. As indicated generally at B2 in Figure 1, the tobacco leaves are hung with the stems of the tobacco leaves positioned upwardly and gripped or held between the pair of mating or nesting angles '18 and 83. The tobacco leaf stems are not of uniform diameter. This arrangement of the mating angle holders accommodates the tobacco stems of various diameters by tilting the stems of greater diameter and providing a slight inclination of the upper portions of the stems to the right, as viewed in Figure 1, prior to their being passed onto the needle 60. V

The tobacco stem holders carried by the conveyor and the needle 60 supported by the needle mounting apparatus are positioned as close as possible to each other in order to minimize either the flexing or the possibility of breaking of the tobacco stems as the point of the needle engages the stem and passes therethrough.

The support structure 2| is affixed to the needle mounting apparatus framework 28 and mounts the guide channels 23 through which pass the chain flanges 15. The channels 23 provide a lateral guide for the chain and insure the proper central location of the point of entry of the needle into the tobacco stems.

If the tobacco stems are placed against the chain by the operator, then the guides are positioned to carry the edge of the chain a fixed horizontal distance from the needle. This distance is preferably one half the thickness of the thinnest tobacco stem to be strung.

The horizontal flanges of the tobacco stem holders may be notched to provide automatic centering of the tobacco stems in the holders. If notched holders are employed;the guide-channels 23 would be located to position the needle above the center of the notches in the tobacco stem holders.

It will be apparent that the previously described conveyor provides self-adjusting spacing for the tobacco stem not only by virtue of the degree of tilt of the tobacco stem but also because of the flexing or hinging of the links of the chain conveyor which will permit the angle holders to be deflected from their normal positions at right angles to the conveyor and be spread apart from each other in the event that there is placed between mating angles an unusually thick stem. The same eifect can be obtained by the use of flexible holders or by the use of rubber pad inserts which may be provided on one or both of mating holders. It will be apparent that a rubber or other molded type of conveyor may be used in place of the chain conveyor shown in order to provide resiliently mounted members for engaging the stems.

Also rotatably mounted within the framework 2 is the vertical shaft 86 mounting the sprocket 38. Mounted on the vertical shaft I6 is the sprocket 90, and supported by the sprockets 88 and 9D is the conveyor chain 92. The conveyor chain 92 is provided with a plurality of extending fingers 94. Mounted on top of the framework by conventional mounting means is a conveniently located ball of string 96.

In the operation of the device, the operator will place a lath strip substantially in the position of the lath strip 98 shown in Figure l. The lath will have aflixed to one end thereof a length of string 99 which the operator may have taken from the spool 96 Or which may have been previously affixed to the end of the lath. The operator will then loop this string over the eye of the needle, as shown in Figure 9, and start the drive motor 4.

The operator will then assume a position at the left hand end of the machine and face the conveyor as indicated by the arrow 34. As the conveyor chain 16 passes around the sprocket 12, the stem holders or grippers are separated and the operator can conveniently place the stems of one or two tobacco leaves between each pair of grippers. As the holders reach the point of tangency of the chain 16 to the sprocket 12, they come together and grip the tobacco leaves and carry the leaves to the right toward the needle mounting mechanism 24 as shown in Figure 1. It will be apparent, however, that the operator. is not limited to inserting tobacco stems in the conveyor holders only during the time the holders are passing around the sprocket 12. It is entirely possible for the operator to slip the tobacco leaves between a pair of holders after the portion of the chain mounting the pair of holders passes the point of tangency of the chain to the sprocket, it being merely necessary for the operator to incline the stems while sliding them between the mating holders.

As the machine operates, the member 20 is driven with a reciprocating motion by the eccentrically mounted driving member 18, and causes the member 22 to pivot on the shaft 30. The lower end of the member 22 acting on the cam member 38 causes the cam member to move backwardly and forwardly between the cam guide members 33. This backward and forward motion of the cam member causes the needle supporting members to move outwardlyand inwardly in pairs and alternately grip the needle.

More specifically,- viewing Figure 5, itwilhbe seen that the cam member 38 is in a lowermost position; the needle supporting members 33 and 34 are engaged by the cam members and are thereby moved outwardly against the urging of their associated springs 59 and are held away from the needle 6b. The needle supporting members 3i and. 32 are urged inwardly by their associated spring members are not engaging the cam surfaces ti and iii and are engaging and supporting the needle 663. As the member 26 is moved, the cam member 38 is carried upwardly, as viewed in Figures 5 and 6, and in an intermittent position, shown in Figure 6, the four needle supporting members il-A i are all free of the cam member 38, are urged inwardly by their associated spring El! and engage and support the needle Ell. Continued motion of the member 26 will carry the cam member 335 to an extreme position as shown in Figure at which position the cam surfaces ii! and 522 are separating the needle supporting members 3! and 32, forcing them outwardly, compressing their associated springs 55 and causing them to be clear of the needle #36. In this position of the cam 33, the needle supporting members 83 and 3d are not engaging the cam surfaces 53 and M; the supporting members are urged by the action of their associated springs iii! and engage and support the needle member M.

It will be apparent that the horizontal motion of the member 23 will be most rapid when the eccentrically mounted driving member is is moving horizontally in its uppermost or lowermost positions. Whereas, when the member i8 is moving vertically in the position shown in Figure 1, horizontal motion of the member 29 is substantially zero. This results in a period of dwell of the cam member 33 at each of its extreme positions at which time one or the other of the pairs of needle supporting members are separated and disengaged from the needle, and in a relatively rapid motion of the cam member as through its intermediate position including the period during which the two pairs of needle supporting members are either opening or closing and during the period when neither of the needle supporting members are separated as shown in Figure 6.

The needle point 64 is sufficiently extended beyond the forward edges of the needle supporting members 33 and 34 to fully impale a tobacco stem prior to the opening of the supporitng members 33 and 34. Thus the needle is held rigidly in proper relative position with respect to the conveyor chain and the stems of the tobacco leaves supported thereby While the needle enters the stems.

The spacing between the outward surfaces of the pair of needle supporting members 3!, 32 and the pair of needle supporting members 33, 34 is less than the spacing between the stems of tobacco leaves supported by successive holders on the conveyor chain it. It will be apparent that, by properly synchronizing the motion of the member 2% with the motion and position of the holders on the conveyor 16, the successive tobacco stems will be brought into engagement with and penetrated by the needle fill, and carried through the needle mounting mechanism between the two pairs of needle supporting members 33, EM and 3!, 32 as these pairs of supporting members are alternately separated or spaced apart and clear of the needle. The spacing between the outside edges of the two pairs of needle supporting members will be less than the clear space between the tobacco stems which have holders of the chain 5%.

passed the needle supporting members and the incoming stems engaging the point of the needle.

Thus the tobacco stems are carried by the holders on the conveyor 16 to the right, as viewed in Figures 1, 9, l0 and 11, and pass successively over the needle 63 and the string as hooked thereon. The motion of the lath the strung stems with respect to the needle is such that the string 99 is drawn through the hook 68, and the free end of the string will progressively slip through the holes in the tobacco stems and the eye of the needle until, as shown in Figure 11, the last tobacco stem has been strung on the string and there exists through the holes in the tobacco stem only a single length of string.

As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the conveyor 92 is adapted to receive the tobacco leaves and the lath strip as the leaves are released by the As the chain passes around the sprocket it, the holders of the chain spread apart and release the tobacco stems. As the conveyor chain 32 passes around the sprocket 9B, the extending fingers 9 pass between the successive leaves or pairs of leaves which are supported by the pairs of holders on the chain 76. These fingers Qt bear against the tobacco leaves and carry the leaves out from between the divergent holders of the chain it and to the right as shown in Figures 10 and 11. The fingers 8' 5 support the strings which in turn support the tobacco leaves. It should be noted that, while for clarity, the lath $8 is shown in Figure 11 as extending horizontally suspended in space above the conveyors, in actual operation of the machine, the lath and the strings will rest upon the conveyor fingers.

After the last leaf is strung on the string and the strung leaves are run ofi of the conveyor 18 onto the conveyor Q2, the operator may then grasp the left hand end of the lath strip and the free left hand end of the string and tie the string to the end of the lath, providing the arrangement of strung tobacco leaves as shown in Figure 12. The automatic transfer of the tobacco leaves from the clamping holders of the conveyor it to the open supporting fingers 94 makes it possible for the operator to merely lift the completely strung leaves from the conveyor 9d without any difiiculty such as would arise in an attempt to remove the strung leaves from the conveyor 16.

If the machine is operated by a single operator, that operator will position a lath strip and hook the string through the eye of the needle and then proceed to load the conveyor chain "it with the proper number of tobacco leaves to be strung on the lath. The operator, when all of the leaves are strung and the lath and the leaves are run off onto the conveyor 92, will tie the free end of the string to the free end of the lath strip, place the strung lath on a suitable frame and position the next lath 98 and string 99 to receive tobacco leaves which the operator will then proceed to position in the conveyor chain it. If two operators are employed, one will load substantially continuously except for a slight pause during which time the other operator is positioning successive lath strips and hooking their strings over the hook of the needle.

It will be apparent that the length of the chain it extending beyond the hook or the needle may be varied if desired. The form of the clamping members affixed to the conveyor for engaging the tobacco stems may be variously modified. These and other modifications may be made to the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein with-- out departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. s

What is claimed is: v i i 1. Apparatus for stringing tobacco leaves on a lath comprising conveyor means adapted to engage the stems of tobacco leaves, a; needle positioned to pass through the stems as' they are carried by the conveyor mean-s, means supporting said needle comprising two alternately operating pairs of clamping members, said pairs of members alternately engaging and releasing the needle, means synchronizing the operation of said members and the motion of said conveyor to provide for the free passage of tobacco stems along the length of the needle, and an eye at one end of the needle for engaging a length of string, one end of the string being secured to one end of a lath and the conveyor means carrying the lath and the strung leaves beyond the needle and drawing the free end of the string through the stems and through the eye in the needle.

2. Apparatus for stringing tobacco leaves on a lath comprising conveyor means, said conveyor means including pairs of mating members of angular form, the leading member having a vertical flange and a lower horizontal flange extending rearward therefrom and the trailing member having a vertical flange and an upper horizontal flange extending forwardly therefrom, the edges of said lower and upper horizontal flanges being adapted to engage the stems of a tobacco leaf thereby to support the leaf, a needle positioned to pass through the stems as they are carried by the conveyor means, means supporting said needle comprising two alternately operating pairs of clamping members, and means at one end of the needle for engaging a length of string, one

end of the string being secured to one end of a lath and the conveyor means carrying the lathand the strung leaves beyond the needle.

3. Apparatus for stringing tobacco leaves on a lath comprising conveyor means adapted toengage the stems of tobacco leaves, a needle positioned to pass through the stems as they are carried by the conveyor means, means supporting said needle comprising two alternately operating pairs of clamping members, said pairs of members alternately engaging and releasing the needle..

means synchronizing the operation of said members and the motion of said conveyor to provide for the free passage of tobacco stems along the length of the needle, an eye at one end of the needle for engaging a length of string, a second conveyor spaced below said first mentioned conveyor and having one of its ends adjacent one end of said first mentioned conveyor and spaced substantially horizontal outwardly projecting fingers secured to said second conveyor to engage and remove the tobacco stems carried by the first mentioned conveyor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 446,231 Kearney Feb. 10, 1891 1,650,990 Kennedy Nov. 29, 1927 2,394,692 Isler Feb. 12, 1946 2,467,113 Deiters Apr, 12, 1949 2,511,473 Kreeger June 13, 1950 2,538,698 McNeill Jan. 16, 1951 2,571,003 Anderson Oct. 9, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 837,035 France Oct. 25, 1938 

